5 Books Every Apple/Steve Jobs Fan or Detractor Should Read

To learn about the co-founder of Apple

You might like or hate him; perhaps you think he is the greatest genius of the last century or consider him an arrogant SOB devoted to stealing ideas from others.

It is no secret how he stole Xerox's idea of the mouse and the computer interface, just like Bill Gates, who developed Windows TM after looking at the Apple Macintosh computer.

Job's detractors alleged that he didn't invent the cellular phone, the touch screen, or the personal assistant, but by joining it in on the device, he managed to sell over 220 billion devices by 2010.

And his philosophy of making the world a better place.

So, for all you fans and haters, here are five books everyone should read about this iconic man.

1.- Steve Jobs

by Walter Isaacson

Walter Isaacson's compelling account of the turbulent life and intensely passionate personality of a creative entrepreneur who transformed six industries—personal computers, animated films, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing—is based on over 40 interviews with Jobs conducted over a two-year period and interviews with over a hundred friends, family members, rivals, competitors, and colleagues.

Steve Jobs helped create this book, although he did not want any input on the content. Nothing was off-limits to him. He urged everyone he knew to be open and honest. Additionally, Jobs talks openly — and even brutally — about the individuals he collaborated with and faced competition from. An unbiased perspective on the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, creativity, devilry, and control compulsion that molded his business strategy and the creative goods that followed may be found in his friends, enemies, and coworkers.

Jobs, driven by demons, could incite rage and sorrow in anyone around him. However, his character and offerings were connected, much like Apple's software and hardware were often, as though they were a single, cohesive whole. His story is enlightening and a warning, full of lessons about creativity, morality, leadership, and values.

This autobiography is based on 40 interviews featuring Steve Jobs's distinct ideas and perspectives. It provides a detailed account of Jobs's life, including his approach to personal computers and his revolutionary inventions, the iPad, iPod, and iPhone. It gives entrepreneurs and Jobs fans much to aspire to, showing how his inventiveness changed the course of six significant industries: computers, phones, music, animated films, tablets, and personal computers.

The book deftly quotes everyone who knows Jobs to give readers a thorough understanding of his turbulent existence.

2 .- I, Steve — Steve Jobs In His Own Words

by George Beahm

This book includes Steve Jobs's quotations for everyone looking for creative inspiration. These realizations clarify what he called "the vision thing," which was his unparalleled capacity to conceptualize and execute the successful launch of high-caliber consumer goods that became irresistible. Apple products' success, which has carved out a market niche both monetarily and in terms of "brand value," is evidence of this.

This tribute includes the best and most thought-provoking quotes ever said by Steve Jobs, compiled from more than three decades of print, electronic, and web media coverage. These more than 200 quotes are a must-read for anyone looking for creative ideas and motivation that can be applied to any size business.

Jobs, who died on October 5, 2011, at 56, co-founded Apple in 1976. He stepped down from that role in August 2011, ending one of history's most significant, transformative business careers. Over the years, Jobs gave countless interviews to the media, explaining his vision:" his unmatched ability to envision and successfully bring consumer products that people find simply irresistible to the marketplace.

Jobs left a lasting legacy in several industries and was a significant force behind the creation of others. Take into consideration how Jobs and Apple influenced the following sectors: books (iBook), computer animation (Pixar), music (iTunes), telecoms (iPhone), books (iBook), personal digital devices (iPod), and, most recently, tablets (iPad). The most extraordinary business visionary of our time was Jobs.

I, Steve, am the perfect gift or reference item for everyone interested in this great American original.

3.- The Bite in the Apple: A Memoir of My Life with Steve Jobs

by Chrisann Brennan

This is a personal glimpse at Steve Jobs's life written by the mother of his first child, offering a unique perspective on Jobs's early, little-known years.

Steve Jobs was an outstanding individual who aspired to use technology to bring people together worldwide. In his view, the idea was to provide everyone with the means to discover their creative potential. Nobody knows this better than Chrisann Brennan. When she first met him in high school, Jobs was deeply convinced that there was more to life than meets the eye and that novel insights were just around the corner.

The author, Jobs's first lover, co-parent, friend, and, like many others, the target of his harshness, provides a unique viewpoint in The Bite in the Apple, a profoundly personal account of the toll Jobs's climb took. Brennan doesn't fall for the hype and writes with depth and breadth. She speaks passionately about three men: a young father who rejected his kid, an idealistic young guy who was eager to transform the world, and a man who mistakenly believed that power equaled love. Through her biography, Chrisann Brennan gives the reader a human facet to the mystique of Steve Jobs. A book that, at last, presents a more genuine version of Steve Jobs.

4.- Small Fry: A Memoir

by Lisa Brennan-Jobs

Lisa Brennan-Jobs was raised in Silicon Valley, which was undergoing rapid change. She was born on a farm and given her name in a field by her parents, artist Chrisann Brennan and Steve Jobs. Lisa's father was a legendary character who was a rare presence in her childhood. Her father developed a fondness for her as she got older and introduced her to a world of mansions, holidays, and private schools.

Although his attention was captivating, he was also aloof, judgmental, and erratic at times. Lisa made the decision to move in with her father in the hopes that he would transform into the dad she had always desired after her relationship with her mother soured throughout high school. A moving coming-of-age tale from one of our most intriguing new literary talents, Small Fry is a half love letter to 1970s and 1980s California and part depiction of a complicated family.

Praise for Small Fry

"A close, well-rendered depiction… This wonderful book leaves the reader with a lasting sense of a strong, compassionate, and intelligent lady who is at peace with her history as well as a loving, forgiving remembering."- Chronicle of San Francisco

5.- A Regular Guy

By Mona Simpson

Mona Simpson's first two books, Anywhere But Here and The Lost Father, brought her widespread readership and literary recognition. Although the third-person narrator in her novel, who narrates the exploits of young Jane di Natali, has now replaced Ann Atassi, the topic of the search for and effort to comprehend the absent father is still present.

This time, the father is Tom Owens, a multimillionaire biotechnology tycoon. Jane, educated in communes after being born out of wedlock and given to Owens by her mother, who can no longer care for her, enters Owens's idyllic life; Tom is not prepared for this role. This exploration of the complex realm of family dynamics will satisfy readers who have enjoyed Simpson's earlier books.

"Simpson is an attentive observer and a fluent stylist, but the element of subtle surprise draws us through these pages, the magnetism of an original mind that holds us fast."

Take Away

There is no better way to know a man than talking to those who knew him.

In this case, I presented five opinions about people close to the great Steve Jobs in his best and worst days.

You can read from the man through Walter Isaacson's authorized autobiography and a compilation of his famous quotes.

But also from three women who shared his life: Chrsisann Brennan his first wife, Lisa Brennan Jobs his first daughter, and Mona Simpson his biological sister.

Now, the ball is on your side of the curse. Will you deny Jobs geniuses or succumb to his cult-like many others?

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair” [ 1 ] … Charles Dickens

© Copyright Jose Luis Ontanon, 2024